Raptors confirm Kawhi Leonard is heading back to Toronto after completing trade deal
The Toronto Raptors have officially confirmed the return of Kawhi Leonard following a complex trade deal with the L.A. Clippers. The transaction, which includes multiple players and draft picks, was delayed by an NBA investigation into salary-cap circumvention.
Why it matters
This trade significantly alters the competitive landscape of the NBA by reuniting a championship-winning star with his former team.
The Raptors confirmed the deal in a post on X Monday evening.
"He back," it said simply, with a photo of Leonard in his #2 jersey.
Kawhi Leonard is back. <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/WeTheNorth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheNorth</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rja9av2UYT">pic.twitter.com/Rja9av2UYT</a>
Shams Charania of ESPN was the first to report the agreement.
The deal would see L.A. get all-star forward Brandon Ingram, guard Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round pick swap and two second-round picks in return.
The deal had been on hold while the NBA investigated Leonard and the Clippers for salary-cap circumvention.
The league completed its investigation on Sept. 2, fining Leonard $700,000 US but declining to suspend him or void his contract.
Although the deal had not been officially submitted to the league while the investigation was underway, Leonard, Ingram and Dick tried to participate with their new teams as much as NBA rules allowed.
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